about us

About Universal Legal Protection

Universal Legal Protection ‘ULP’ is an independent, owner-managed business founded in 1999 as a specialist professional liability and after the event litigation (‘ATE’) insurance broker. Our main area of focus is Pension Trustee Liability Insurance, both for ‘live’ Pension Schemes requiring annual cover and for the Trustees of Schemes that have wound up.

We also arrange Schemes and Facilities for Solicitors and Claims Management Companies requiring ATE Insurance with or without Finance for volume business, and we provide a broking service for bespoke ATE risks.

In addition to this, we provide a bespoke broking service for professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ covers.

We go the extra mile to demonstrate reliability, integrity, transparency and trust. We listen to what each client wants and do our best to get it! Only when we have managed each client’s expectations do we go to market. If there are complexities and possible pitfalls, we explain them. Our philosophy is to work closely with our clients.

Independent - we are independent, not tied to any Insurer, and we pride ourselves on seeking unbiased alternatives for our clients.
Experienced - our broking role is to know who to approach and negotiate with Insurers to offer best terms; our Principals have in excess of 75 years’ experience between them and we enjoy strong relationships with the Insurers.
Committed to Quality - we are trusted and respected in our industry by clients and Insurers.
Tailored Advice and Support - as an independent organisation working for the client, we will always seek to assist you in optimising your application.
Communication - we keep our communication channels open and fluid. Our clients can be assured that they will always be fully informed of progress at all stages.
Our Team - consists of passionate and caring individuals. We assign every Application we receive to an appointed Account Handler who is directly overseen by the Managing Director. Our motivation is built upon the desire to deliver an efficient, personal and effective service.
Easy Application Process - we have designed our Forms so that you only need to complete one Proposal, Application or Indication Form for whichever product or products you wish to apply for. In other words, our Forms are accepted by all the Insurers we try.

Our Management Team

Richard Myrtle

Managing Director

Richard has worked in Insurance since graduating from university in 1980. He initially worked as a Lloyd’s Broker specialising in Professional Indemnity and Directors’ & Officers’ Liability, before concentrating on Legal Expenses Insurance during the 1990s. Richard established Universal Legal Protection Limited (ULP) around the turn of the new millennium, partly in response to After-the-Event Litigation Insurance (ATE) emerging as a new type of insurance and partly to address a growing interest from trustees of Pension Schemes seeking insurance protection. Pension Trustee Liability Insurance (PTL) has been ULP’s cornerstone of expertise for over a decade now, both ‘live’ (annual) Policies and ‘Run Off’ Policies which protect the trustees for a long period of time once a Pension Scheme has been Wound Up. Whilst Richard continues to arrange group or volume based ATE Facilities, his main focus is on the niche PTL sector. Throughout his career, Richard has been an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute and he is a Chartered Insurance Broker.

Karen Mansfield

Director

Karen brings over thirty years’ experience working in the City of London (for several of the major Lloyd’s brokers) to ULP. Karen has always worked within the Financial Lines sector and is an industry expert in both Pension Trustee Liability (PTL) Insurance and Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII). Having helped Pension Schemes of varying shapes and sizes, Karen is able to negotiate bespoke solutions for annual placements for ongoing Schemes and those that require long-term Run Off solutions once a Scheme concludes Wind Up. Karen’s knowledge of the different Insurers’ appetite for risk and Policy Wordings available ensures that she is best placed to assist Trustees, Employers and their Advisers and is able to provide a hands on approach by attending Trustee meetings as deemed appropriate.